Chapter six
Amaya winced as she slid the jeans up her leg. They had been her only wardrobe for the last three days and she would throw them in the trash the moment she got home.
She scoffed. Who was she kidding?
She couldn’t afford to be throwing clothes away. Still, it would be a while before she wore them again. She had a feeling that every time she wore them, she would be reminded of being held hostage by the King of the Bayi.
Shaking off the thought, she slid her arms into the hoodie and braced herself.
Tonight, she was going to escape.
Amaya had walked the perimeter yesterday and scoped out the best chance she had to escape.
There was shielding over the whole of the compound, but because the vampires within were arrogant, they hadn’t given her any thought as she hung out along the southern wall.
It had taken some finessing to keep her power under wraps, but she’d managed to open a small spot for her mother and her to escape.
She had already called Tracy and sent her the location where she could meet them.
She could possibly be signing her and her mother’s death warrant, but sitting around and not trying didn’t sit well with Amaya.
Her whole life had been her and her mother surviving the best way they knew how.
There were lean days and there were days they feasted, but through it all, it had been the two of them together.
This would be no different. Luckily for her, Anita was having a lucid night and if she could time it correctly, they should be off the compound before that changed.
In the few days that they’d been here, her mother’s lucid states lasted longer than when they were at home.
When she’d approached her mother earlier in the day about the plan, Anita had agreed, though somewhat reluctantly.
Anita had been having a grand old time in the King’s compound.
True to Levi’s words, her mother had round-the-clock care, the servants catering to Anita’s every need and whim.
Amaya imagined it was what it would feel like if she could afford a nursing staff to care for her mother.
Anita was probably going along with the plan more so in solidarity with her daughter than a want to escape the mad king.
For the last couple of days, Amaya had been creeping around the mansion, and nightly she heard proof of what the Akachi did to one’s mind as the king paced the floors of his compound, his anger and confusion blanketing the atmosphere.
How did his men live here with him? Though, in their defense, Amaya’s tie to chaos magic was what made her so sensitive to Levi’s moods and aura.
She outright avoided him, refusing to eat dinner with them and keeping him locked out of her room.
It was risky pissing off someone with Levi’s power, but…
she had a feeling it wasn’t just her life she would be risking being anywhere alone with that man.
The taste of his power she’d experienced when he’d forced her to feed from him was still in her mind.
It was imprinted on her body, just the thought of it brought a flush of heat.
She needed to get the fuck out of here.
So, while her mother was in a healthy place, they carefully tweaked the escape plan Amaya had come up with. She could only pray that they would pull it off and her mother was still on board with the plan.
Levi and his main goons were gone for the evening, so Amaya didn’t anticipate any one caring enough to stop her.
Originally, she’d thought to escape during the day when the vampires in residence were sleeping, but Anita, who seemingly knew every-damn-body in this house, had informed her daughter that shifters roamed the property during the day.
With that, evening was their better option.
Knocking on her mother’s door softly, she crept in. Anita was sitting in a chair at the small table in front of the window.
“Mama,” she whispered.
Anita turned. “Is tonight the night?”
“I think so,” she told her softly, creeping closer to the window in the dark. “Are you sure this part will work?”
Anita sighed. “Amaya, I’ve taught you how to create objects using your power, you just have to trust yourself. Or you can just let me do it and it will be done faster.”
Amaya shook her head. “We can’t afford for you to keep using your chaos magic, you know that.”
Anita smiled sadly. “Let’s get to it, then.”
Amaya went to the window and prodded it with her magic. Not finding any spells to keep them in, she released a breath of relief. Lifting the glass, she bit her bottom lip as she determined how to make the stairs.
Anita placed her hand on her back. “You can do this, May.”
Nodding, Amaya focused her magic, building the stairs one at a time, keeping them translucent in case someone walked by. The second story wasn’t as high as some mansions, so it didn’t take too much effort.
“I’ll go first just in case,” Amaya told her mother.
Anita nodded and Amaya lifted the window fully, stepping her leg out.
Standing, she found the stairs sturdy. Giddy excitement filled her, both at her accomplishment and the fact that her plan could work.
She and Anita crept softly down the stairs and Amaya dissipated the magic when both of their feet touched the ground.
Leading her mother towards the east side of the property, they slipped through the shadows of the small cabins scattered around.
A vampire stepped out of the darkness and her heart knocked against her chest.
“Why are you skulking?” he asked with a curious tilt of his head.
Before she could answer, he slumped down. She turned and looked at her mother for an explanation.
“We don’t have all night,” Anita whispered in explanation.
They reached the south wall of the property and Amaya was relieved that no guard manned it.
She just prayed that she could duplicate the stairs.
First, she needed to get through the shielding.
Waving her hands, she used magic to make the spell visible.
She’d started work on it yesterday, leaving just a small bit of the power intact to allay suspicions.
Painstakingly, she took apart the last of the magic, keeping it confined to one section so as not to raise an alarm.
It took her five minutes longer than she’d planned and she hoped no one noticed that she and her mother weren’t in their rooms. Another vampire came out and like before, Anita put him to sleep.
“Mom, you can’t keep using your magic,” she admonished.
“Why would I use my magic?” Anita said, and Amaya’s heart dropped.
She turned and her mother’s face showed her confusion. The fugue state had taken over. Tears gathered at the corner of her eyes, but she could still make the plan work. Quickly, she built the stairs and guided her mother onto them. When she reached the top, her stomach dropped to her toes.
Levi and Sebastian stood on the other side, legs parted and arms crossed over their chests.
“Will I need to reinforce all the shielding around my property?” Levi’s voice was bored.
Cursing, Amaya tried to think of anything she could use to fight the Bayi king.
She descended the stairs on the other side of the fence and faced off with the vampire.
He looked sane now, but there was no telling if that would change.
Fuck it. Using chaos magic, Amaya created a staff, swinging it at Levi as he tried to step closer to her and Anita.
Levi stepped back and held up his hands, anger flashing in his gaze. “You plan to defeat us both with a stick?” He clicked his tongue. “Though I’ll compliment you on it being oak. You are well informed at least.”
His taunting pissed her off, so she sharpened the end of the wooden stake with her magic and jabbed it towards him. “I could stab you in your heart.”
He laughed. Laughed, damn him!
“Could you?” He stepped closer and she swung again.
“Maybe not now,” she said, her chest tight with frustration, “but you have to sleep sometime.”
“Threatening me, baby doll?” he asked, his voice silky menace. All traces of amusement were gone from his gaze.
“Just let us go,” she whispered.
Headlights cut through the dark night, illuminating Sebastian, who had not moved an inch during any of the confrontation. Amaya’s heart rate sped, thudding hard against her chest. Her cousin had such unfortunate timing.
Levi turned to her car and hissed. Before she could even yell out a warning to her cousin, he jumped in front of it. Tracy slammed on her brakes, her scream escaping the confines of the vehicle. Levi leaned on the hood, his fangs lowered.
“Don’t kill her! I’ll go back!” Amaya yelled out.
Levi gave her a sinister smile before turning back to Tracy. A lump formed in her throat and helpless tears escaped her eyes. Tracy stiffened in her car and Amaya couldn’t tell what was happening, but without saying a word, her cousin completed a three-point turn and drove away.
Amaya released a shaky breath. “What did you do to her?” she whispered.
“I ain’t lay a single finger on her, baby doll. She’ll be home in bed soon, with no memory of this happening. You should thank me for that grace.”
“Fuck you,” she hissed. Now that Tracy was out of danger, the need to curtail her words was gone.
Sebastian sighed and shook his head. The smile dropped from Levi’s face.
“Get her mother inside. Now,” the king snapped. His eyes speared Amaya’s and her body froze.
Sebastian walked over to her and her mother and gently grabbed Anita’s hand.
Amaya wanted to stop him, but Levi’s magic wrapped around her, holding her in place.
Sebastian led Anita away and Amaya was left with the king, only silence and twilight between them.
Levi’s steps were unhurried, more like prowling as he covered the distance to Amaya.
He circled her, a low, sinister growl breaking the silence. “Beloved, ain’t but so many times I’ma let your fine ass play in my face.” His breath brushed the back of her neck and a hard shudder rippled through her body.
“I hate you,” she told the vampire, and he flinched.
“Maybe today, but not forever,” he whispered. “Eventually, you’ll let me in, and I’ll worship at the altar of my queen. You don’t wanna be my queen, baby doll?”
He made her head spin. Dynamic and potent, his presence blotted out the existence of all around him. The way he switched between the old-worldly way he spoke, to modern slang, made her dizzy with want.
Yes, she hated him.
And yes, her body craved him.
Both were true, and Amaya was determined to only allow one feeling to win out over the other.
“Release me,” she whispered.
Maybe she could’ve gotten out of the thrall he’d put over her body, but fighting him and herself was a battle she wouldn’t win.
He chuckled and did as she’d asked, stepping back. It gave her room to breathe, to think…to plan. Perhaps her escape didn’t work today, but that didn’t mean she wouldn’t find another way.